Fire at Duplex Causes $250K in Damage, Displaces Two Families

Images: Firefighters responded at 3:20 a.m. to the fire at a Bethesda duplex apartment (MCFRS).

BETHESDA, MD — A fire that broke out early Tuesday morning caused heavy damage to a Bethesda duplex apartment and displaced two families, according to the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service.

Firefighters responded at 3:20 a.m. to multiple reports of an apartment fire in the 4300 block of Sangamore Road in Bethesda. They spotted flames coming through the roof of the two-story duplex, the fire service said.

The crew quickly brought the fire under control and assisted residents down the stairs and out of the building. There were no reported injuries to residents or fire and rescue personnel, the fire service said.

The fire displaced a total of seven people, members of two families, according to the fire service, and the Red Cross is assisting them.

Damages are estimated at about $200,000 to the duplex structure and $50,000 to the building's contents. "The cause appears to be electrical in nature, though it is still under investigation," the fire service said.

The fire apparently started in the ceiling and attic above a bathroom, the fire service said. One of the duplex's occupants heard crackling noises and smelled smoke at about the same time that neighbors saw flames coming from the attic and called 911.

Smoke alarms did not go off, "as there apparently was not enough smoke in the living space area to activate the alarms," the fire service said.